Tuesday, May 09, 2006

BALLENTINE VINEYARDS MERLOT - 2002

2002 was a tremendous vintage for California Merlot which has helped craft some wines of extraordinary concentration and acidity. This wine from Ballentine is made from 89% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Cabernet Franc.TASTING NOTES:There's loads of toasty vanilla in this Merlot that sports a deep ruby-purple color and flavors of currant and dark fruits. There's a bit too much pepper here for Merlot and too much heat from the 14.8% alcohol that overpowers the finish.SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:84 PTSThe aroma of this wine is really nice. I actually enjoyed swirling and sniffing it more than drinking and tasting it. Fair.